Tormented Sleep
by Percyjacksonfan3
Summary: Takes place between The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune. A story in which Drew gets exactly whats coming to her, Annabeth is unusually emotional, Jason walks away with a scar and the camp realizes just how apart from the Annabeth is unless Percy is by her side. It's decent, I promise. Give it a try :)


**Partly inspired by the song Demons by Imagine Dragons and the cover of I Won't Let Go by Alex G. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these amazing characters, scenes or scenarios. Dang it, but that's the truth.**

It was the night of the campfire and people were in higher spirits than usual.

It had been months since Piper, Jason and Leo had come back from their quest and earlier today Leo had anounced that the Argo II was just a couple of days away from being complete. Everyone was happy, with a smile on their face.

Well... except one person.

Annabeth Chase was the one exception to that statement and everyone knew it. She had been up all night again last night, working with Leo on the Argo II. Trying to speed it along. She was exhausted and it was almost impossible to see a smile on her face anymore.

She was desperate and tired. Weary and downtrodden. She had been getting bad for days but now everyone could really see the extent to which Percy's disappearance was affecting her. It had taken it's toll. She was sluggish, and no emotion except weariness could be seen on her face.

And if you looked at the campers around the campfire you could spot her from a mile away, because she was the only one not singing or laughing. She just sat there, staring into the flames.

She was sitting alone on the front log, her cabin mates behind her. She didn't seem to notice or if she did she just didn't care. No one tried to talk to her, or include her. They glanced at her every once in a while but it was mostly to see if she was still there and hadn't gone in jumped in the ocean or something.

No one tried to approach her until one daughter of Aphrodite plopped down in the space beside her.

"What do you want Drew?" Annabeth asked tiredly. Usually she could handle the stuck up daughter of Aphrodite but right now she just wasn't in the mood. The Hephaestus campers were working on the Argo II even now but Annabeth just wanted it to be done already. She was too tired for Drew at the moment.

The girl frowned at the greeting but ignored it, which was smart.

Drew put on a concerned face and turned to talk to the blonde beside her. "Annabeth," she almost purred, "how are you?"

"I'm fine Drew, now what do you want?" Annabeth said, frustrated.

"What do I want?" Drew acted surprised. "Why I want to help you of course."

"Help me?" Annabeth asked, sounding barely interested.

"Yes," Drew resisted the urge to pinch the end of her nose. "Help you. I think you need my help."

"Really?" Annabeth asked, sounding like she was a thousand miles away.

"As you know it't the Aphrodite cabin's job to make cute couples in camp. It's what we do, it's our contribution to this place. We give you all something to fight for while you guys do the actual fighting. We try to help you all find your soulmates, we build you up." Drew explained.

Yeah, and then tear the poor couple down, Annabeth thought. However she didn't voice it, instead choosing to say, "okay, and?"

"I want to help you." Drew stated again.

"How?" Annabeth asked her, not really caring just wanting this conversation over with.

Drew sighed. "Here, stand up." Drew didn't wait for Annabeth to respond and pulled the other girl up with a tight grip on her arms before releasing her. "Look at yourself Annabeth, you're a pretty girl. Maybe not as pretty as some," here Drew twirled her hair and a gloating look came over her face, "but still pretty enough. You could probably find a guy here if you wanted. I'm thinking you and Leon from the Hemera Cabin. He's cute and his mother is the goddess of daylight so he could probably brighten your day."

Annabeth finally seemed to start listening to her. "Excuse me?"

Drew sighed in exasperation. "What's I'm saying Annabeth, is you need to get back out there! Get back on the horse! Percy's been gone for what, 4 months now? 5? Honey, your relationship is practically over. Let's be honest, it won't survive this time apart and Percy may not even remember you right now."

Annabeth drew in a breath and Drew, thinking she'd won, went in for the kill. She ignored the campers around them, shooting glances.

Drew smiled wickedly at her. "Let him go, Annabeth. He left, he's gone. He might not come back. It's time for you to go and get yourself a fresh guy, someone new."

Annabeth's face was blank, like she couldn't comprehend what Drew was saying. "A new guy." She stated.

Drew waved a hand off to the side. "Yeah! Someone to make you forget about Percy," Drew hardly noticed Annabeth flinch at the word forget. "Leave Percy for me to handle. He's, like, the only guy I haven't kissed yet and I think that-"

Gasps were heard around the campfire but no one had the chance to say anything.

"You wanna know what I think Drew?" Annabeth cut in, suddenly understanding what this was about. She made sure her voice was steely calm and Drew felt a shiver of fear go through her at the sound of it.

She froze and her arm dropped, Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed Annabeth fingering the hilt of her dagger and then shot back up to the furious grey orbs before her.

Annabeth leaned close to whisper in her ear. "I think someone needs to teach you a lesson. You can't take other people's things. And Percy? He's mine. You can try, gods know you have in the past," here Annabeth laughed but it sounded shaky and fake even to her own ears, "but you'll fail like you have every time so far. No matter how much you want to add Percy to your little collection of boys, you won't. He won't fall for it."

The blonde took a step back to look at the loathing on the Aphrodite girl's face. "You're shallow and pathetic. If we sent you out of here you wouldn't last two minutes against a monster. Even if you did and came crawling back, no one here would want to help you."

Annabeth saw something like pain go through the other girls eyes and guilt threatened to come over her but she pushed it down. This felt good, she felt satisfied.

"Annabeth," Piper interrupted. "That's enough."

Annabeth didn't look away from Drew. "Do we understand each other, Drew?"

Jason stepped forward. "Hey, Annabeth, c'mon-"

"Drew?"

Drew's eyes flicked around, taking in every face watching her. No one else moved to do anything. Finally, after a second of silence, she swallowed and drew herself up to her full height, leveling her gaze at the girl in front of her. "You know just because you're miserable without one stupid boy doesn't mean you have to act like a complete and total bitch."

That was it.

Her knife was out of it's sheath and in her hand in less than an instant and Annabeth took a step towards Drew, stopping only when a hand fell on her shoulder.

"Jason if you know what's good for you you'll take that hand off me."

The hand didn't move. "Annabeth calm down. What are you doing?"

She ignored him. "Let me go Jason."

She turned to stare him down and found worried blue eyes staring back at her. "No." He said. "Not until you calm down."

"I'm warning you-" Annabeth started.

Drew cut her off. "Ohh, Annabeth can get pretty violent Jason. Better let her go. Someone should go find Percy, he can usually calm her down." The girl paused, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah, that's right. Percy's not here. We don't know where he is. In fact," Drew went on, "he could be dead for all we kno-"

Annabeth didn't know how but suddenly she was lunging towards Drew. The girl shrieked and stepped back, stumbling on her high heel before it snapped and she fell on her butt. Then there were a strong pair of arms around her waist and someone pulling Annabeth back.

The blonde turned and cut, not even thinking. All she knew was that only Percy could touch her there, anyone else inspired self defense instincts in her that were too well tuned to be ignored.

A yelp followed her cut and the arms let go of her. When Annabeth's eyes focused she saw Jason standing a few steps away from her, staring at the back of his hand and the thin line of red on it in disbelief. Then he looked up and met her eyes.

She dropped her knife, hands flying to her mouth appalled.

Gods, what was happening to her? She was so miserable that she had to take it out on other people now?

"Oh Styx, Jason... I'm so sorry." The words were hard to get out for someone who didn't like to admit when they did any wrongdoing but Annabeth forced them past the sudden lump in her throat.

Piper had gone to Jason and looked up at Annabeth, anger and worry flaring in her eyes.

"What the Hades, Annabeth?!"

Murmurs broke out around them and Annabeth looked around desperately, wishing she were anywhere but there. Wishing she could take back the last few minutes. People stared at her, they stared at Jason. Some were looking at Drew.

The latter stood up, glaring at Annabeth. "There, are you happy now? Or do you wanna slice a few more of us open?"

Annabeth backed away, trying to get far away from the stares directed at her. She saw Clarisse looking at her, more concerned than anything, Rachel looking shocked, Katie and Marissa (a daughter of Apollo) heading towards Jason but looking at her warily. Even Travis and Connor had froze, something they weren't prone to do, and stared at her.

Annabeth wished more than anything, more than she ever had, that Percy were there. He wouldn't stare at her, he would go to her. He would poke her, make some joke, diffuse the tension. He would distract everyone and clear things up.

He would hold her or take her away, He would save her and comfort her and help her.

But Percy wasn't here. In fact, he was the reason she needed to be comforted and helped in the first place.

Not caring about anything except getting out of there, Annabeth turned on her heels and ran.

She didn't notice she was crying until she stopped and stood outside the Poseidon Cabin and realized she was short of breath. There were tears running their way down her cheeks and her chest was heaving.

"Percy," Annabeth whispered, and then new tears came and poured from her eyes.

With hardly a thought Annabeth pushed open the door to Cabin Three. She didn't care if Poseidon blasted her, didn't care if her mother was furious for what she was doing. Annabeth wanted Percy and right now this was the most pitiful replacement she had.

She moved to lay on the bed, not noticing she was stepping on clothes and candy wrappers. She curled up into the sheets, rested her head on the pillow and took a deep breath.

His smell filled her nostrils, overwhelemed her senses. Her brain went into overdrive at the scent and Annabeth choked back a fresh sob.

Gods, where was he? Why wasn't he here with her?

Annabeth didn't think anything after that, instead choosing to let herself be overwhelmed with a pain and longing that eradicated rational thoughts and actions. Choosing to feel rather than act, endure rather than think. She didn't want to think, didn't want to act. She wanted to curl up in Percy's arms and fall asleep.

For now his bed would just have to do.

Annbabeth fell asleep crying.

Percy's face filled her brain. His eyes widened in recognation. He looked at her. He smiled.

And then she woke up a moment later.

When her brain focused she sighed in relief. A dream, oh thank gods it was a dream. She almost laughed in relief but settled for a smile. That smile disappeared though, when her eyes focused and she realized where she was.

She was in the Poseidon Cabin, curled up on Percy's bed.

And in front of her, staring down with angry and worried eyes, was Chiron.

Oh Styx.

oooOOOooo

**Yeah... so I'm not sure where this came from. Just popped into my head and I wrote it as best I could. Hope it was at least semi-enjoyable. **

**Question: Which girl would you say is the Ice Queen of the PJO/HOO series? **

**Hope you enjoyed this! Reviews make the world go round!**

**Love you all!**

**Percyjacksonfan3**


End file.
